Just Friends
by Zesty Bod
Summary: Barry and Iris are friends with benefits. Written for #WestAllenHiatusWeek. One-shot.
After a week of three exams and one twenty-page pager due, all Iris wanted to do when she got home was unwind. She tossed her backpack on the floor of her room and wasted no time pouring herself a bath, complete with bubbles and candles and a glass of wine. She set her iPad on the closed lid of the toilet and started a relaxing playlist, and then she pulled off her clothes and sank into the steaming hot water until it almost covered her face. She soaked for about twenty minutes and then thought she heard the sound of her front door opening in the distance. A timid knock on the bathroom door was next.

"Yeah," she called.

She gathered some bubbles to strategically cover her parts, expecting to see her roommate, Linda. Instead, the person who poked his head in was Barry. A big smile spread on Iris's face.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey. Mind if I come in?"

She waved him in and took in his officer training outfit. Seeing him in his dark blue uniform never failed to make her giggle.

"You look cute," she said.

"Ha, ha," he said dryly. "You'd think after seeing me in this so many times, you'd stop laughing."

"Yeah, you would think, wouldn't you?" she teased.

He toed off his shiny black shoes and sat on the floor next to the tub.

"Why the CSIs have to wear this during training is beyond me. I should be in a lab coat or something. I just look like a nerd."

"A very adorable nerd."

He dipped his hand into the water and splashed her in response.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Barry shrugged one shoulder. "I was driving and I ended up here. I guess I was thinking about you." Iris's cheeks burned a little as she smiled. "How were your tests and everything?"

"They sucked," she admitted. "Law school sucks. But at least it's over and if I flunk out, I can always go be a cop."

"You won't flunk out. And Joe would never let you be a cop."

"I've learned the art of persuasion," she reminded him. He rolled his eyes playfully and she noticed the bags under his usually bright eyes. She brought a hand out of the water and ran it through his hair. "You look tired."

"I am pretty tired. I haven't slept too well all week and they've been kicking my ass in training."

"Sounds like you need to relax. A nice hot bath would help."

He snorted. "Can't remember the last time I took a bath. I think I was probably six."

A thought cross her mind and Iris bit her lip before she asked, "you want to join me?"

Barry's eyes widened a little, but he smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You think we'll both fit?"

"I think we'll have fun figuring that out," she said, even though saying it kind of embarrassed her.

Barry needed very little encouragement after that. She watched as he undressed and left his uniform crumpled in a pile on the floor. When he pulled off his underwear, she looked away, even though she felt kind of silly doing so. It wasn't like she hadn't seen it. It wasn't like she hadn't done a whole lot more than _see_ it. But she didn't feel like it was hers to look at if they weren't having sex.

Iris scooted up when he put one of big feet in the water, and she stayed that way as he folded his long body into the tub. When he settled in, his knees popped out of the water and Iris slid until her back was pressed to his front. She looked at Barry, who had already dropped his head back.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" she asked.

"It really does."

"See, this is how you relax. A nice hot bath, some candles, some music..."

"A really hot girl," he added.

She grinned. "Or hot guy. Whatever floats your boat."

"Mm." Barry wrapped his arms around her waist and tipped his head up. "Come here," he said softly.

Her heart thudded when she did as he said, and she whimpered when they kissed. She loved the way he kissed. It was always so thorough and genuine. Their tongues danced slowly and she felt him pulse against her back. She pulled away with a smile and shook her head.

"This is just supposed to be a bath," she teased.

"I can't help it."

He had the cutest grin on his face and she planted another kiss on him before she rested her back against him again. They lay quietly together in the hot water, letting it seep into their tired bones and muscles, while the music played in the background. When Iris thought she heard soft snores, she turned around and saw that Barry had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful and handsome. She tried not to move too much as she lathered herself in soap, and then did the same to the parts of his body that she could reach and move without disturbing him. She gingerly washed his legs and feet, then his chest and arms. When the water finally cooled down, she tried to wake him up.

"Bear," she said. He didn't move. She called him again and when that didn't work, she gently shook him. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled sheepishly.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"Afraid so."

"Wow. That was seriously the best bath ever. Can we make this a daily thing?"

She chuckled and said, "maybe."

He offered her a hand and helped her climb out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around her body before turning off her iPad and offering her hand to him. He stepped out and she wrapped a bigger towel around his waist. He hugged her to his body and sighed into her hair.

"Can I stay the night?" he asked.

"Of course you can. You don't have to ask me that."

"I didn't want to assume."

Iris nearly cringed at that. Ever since they'd started sleeping together, things that they used to do without asking suddenly became uncertain and awkward. They had never actually talked about their situation or what they were doing. She wanted to ask him about it, but she was scared it might end. She was even more scared that it would ruin their friendship. So she didn't talk about it, and he didn't talk it, and they kept dancing on that very fine line.

"Come on," she said as she dropped her hand into his. "Maybe you could try falling asleep in the bed this time."

He wrapped his arms around her from behind and planted his face in his neck, and she giggled as they walked front-to-back into her bedroom. She shut the door, just in case Linda got back early, and headed for her underwear drawer. Barry's nose was still glued to her skin when she pulled out a pair of comfortable bikini style blue panties and he gently took them from her.

"No clothes," he whispered.

Her eyes fluttered shut and a pang of longing went through her when he kissed her neck. She dropped the panties in the drawer, shut it and turned to throw her arms around him. It always amazed her how little he had to do to get her in the mood, but she didn't question it. She pressed her lips to his and moaned when his tongue entered her mouth. He dropped his hands to his butt and picked her up, and she gladly wrapped her legs around his waist. He turned them around so that he was walking her back to the bed, and once he had her flat on the mattress, he undid her towel without ever breaking their kiss.

Barry was apparently not in a rush because even though she was naked underneath him, he didn't touch her. He just rested his warm bare skin on hers and kept kissing her like he had all the time in the world. When Iris became impatient, she reached down between them and opened his towel so that she could at least feel his erection against her. They both moaned at the contact and she tried her best to get him inside her, flexing her hips up and down to slide herself against him. He groaned and finally pulled away from her lips, only to plant them on her neck. He stubbornly refused to give her what she wanted, which drove her crazy in the best possible way.

"You're teasing me," she moaned.

"Yeah. It's fun," he whispered.

She tried to capture his mouth again but he kissed down her chest instead. He slowly licked the underside of her breasts, one by one, until she was ready to rip all the hair out of his head. He circled her areolas with a pointed tongue, which made her toes curl. She tried to direct his head to her nipples, but he kept doing what he wanted, winding her up to the point of explosion. When he finally did suck her nipple into his mouth, her back arched off the bed.

"Yesss," she hissed.

He went back and forth between the two until she was practically dripping on the comforter.

"Barry, please," she begged through gritted teeth.

He never stopped sucking her chest, but he did reach down and grab his hardened length. He ran it over her clit a few times, which nearly made her orgasm, and then he slid himself all the way in.

"Oh my God," she breathed.

Barry kissed his way back up her chest and they were kissing again, while their bodies moved in rhythm together. Iris couldn't help the moans and sighs of pleasure that escaped her. She ran her fingernails up and down her back, just the way she knew he liked it, and he shivered in her arms. She tightened her legs around his waist and tried to coax him into a faster pace, but he kept going slowly. Maddeningly slowly. Iris could feel the tingle in her body that told her she wasn't far away from the pinnacle, and the slow burn of it was as delicious as it was frustrating.

"Go faster," she whispered against his lips.

"No way. This feels amazing."

"If you don't speed up, I'm gonna come."

He grinned. "Isn't that the point?"

She would have laughed but she was teetering so close to ecstasy that she could hardly think straight. The combination of his movements and his body was almost too much for her to take. He smelled so good, like his natural scent mixed in with her soap. And there was something different about him, too. Something different about the sex. Every other time they'd done it, it had been fast and hard and it was because both of them were afraid if they didn't do it fast, they might come to their senses. What they were doing right then, so slow and deliberate and deep, it felt like a whole lot more than sex.

Barry didn't speed up his pace at all, but when he hooked his arms underneath her and held her as closely as possible, the thrusts got so deep that she could feel him hitting her spot with each movement.

"Right there," she whispered as she lost herself in the feeling. "Barry...God...right there!"

He followed her instructions and kept stroking until she just couldn't hold it in anymore. Her back arched again and her nails dug into his skin and she cried his name when she climaxed. The feeling lasted even through Barry's orgasm, and she was just starting to unclench when he rested his body on top of her and sighed against her neck.

It took her a moment to come to her senses and when she did, she ran her hands through his hair and directed his lips to hers. They kissed languidly for a few minutes before she wiggled her hips and he rolled off of her.

"You want something to eat?" she asked as she pulled a robe over her nude form.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect."

Iris smiled at him and watched him climb under her comforter and wrap his long limbs around one of her pillows. She went to the kitchen and made them some sandwiches and chips, and by the time she returned, he was asleep. And not just asleep. Snoring with his mouth open. She laughed and carefully climbed onto the bed so she didn't wake him. She turned on the TV but muted it, and watched silently while she ate his sandwich as well as hers. Every now and then, her eyes flitted to him and she caught herself staring. She noted how his long eyelashes rested against pale cheeks, how relaxed he looked when he usually had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Pride swelled in her knowing that she could do that for him.

A loud ringtone shrilled from the bathroom and Barry moved but didn't wake up. When it happened again, Iris crept into the bathroom to find the source of the noise and turn it off before it ruined his sleep. She dug through his pants pocket and found his phone, the source of the noise. She meant to just silence it or at least turn the volume down, but once she touched the screen, it lit up with messages from Patty. Iris didn't want to read them, but the texts were right there for her to see.

 _Hey, Barry. I'm in town this weekend and I'd love to see you. There's a chance I could be transferred back to Central City and well...I guess I want to know if it's worth it. If maybe we still have a chance. Sorry to say this through text._

 _I miss you._

Iris's heart sank after reading the messages, and all those wonderful feelings she'd had from her time with Barry evaporated. Patty coming back into the picture surely meant the end of whatever she was doing with Barry. Iris and Barry had only started sleeping together after he broke up with Patty and she broke up with Eddie. It was supposed to be just a drunken one-night but then it spiraled into so much more. She always knew it would end, but now that it was there, she was much sadder than she thought she would be.

So she folded up his clothes and placed them on the counter. She put his phone on the nightstand next to his side of the bed. She cleaned up her dishes and then slid under the covers, away from him.

When morning came, Iris was gone before Barry woke up and she steadfastly avoided him at every opportunity after that. She made up excuses about work and school and was relieved when he became busy, too. Her heart ached with how much she missed him, not only as a lover but as her best friend, but she figured it was best for everyone if she backed off and let the inevitable happen with Patty.

It had been two weeks since their sleepover when she was at home, working on her submission to join the ranks of the law school journal, when Barry popped his head into her room.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I have a rare afternoon off, and I realized that we haven't seen each other at all recently."

Guilt settled over her but she tried to play it off.

"Yeah, well, I've been really busy with all this journal stuff. And you've been training pretty hard, right?"

"Yeah." He slid into the room and sat on the edge of her bed. He fiddled with his fingers, and she knew that he was bothered by their distance. "But that doesn't mean we couldn't talk on the phone or at least text. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," she said with a shrug. "Like I said, I've been busy."

He nodded, but he didn't believe it. She could tell from the pensive look on his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No, of course not."

"Are you sure? Because it seems like ever since that night, you've been pulling away and I don't know why. I thought it was a great night."

"It was," she said genuinely. "It was a great night. It was kind of perfect, actually."

"I thought so, too. So why are you pushing me away?"

Some tense silence hung over them before she answered.

"I know that Patty's back," she admitted.

His eyes widened. "What?"

"She texted while you were asleep. I wasn't trying to read them, I promise. I didn't want the messages to wake you up and when I went to turn the phone off, they were right there. I kind of couldn't help it."

"Okay," he said. "And?"

"What do you mean 'and?' It's Patty. She's practically your soulmate. I know how much you loved her and if she wants to get back together with you, then I don't want to stand in the way."

"How are you in the way?"

"Because it's not like you're going to keep sleeping with me and date her at the same time. You're not that kind of guy. I'm not that kind of girl. So I'm just bowing out, okay? Before I get my heart broken."

He blinked a few times. "Would going back to her break your heart?"

It wasn't until he said those words that she realized _she_ had said them, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She looked down at her hands and wished the ground would swallow her. When it didn't, she decided to face the music.

"Yeah, I guess it would," she said. She met his eyes and shrugged. "I know there's this unwritten rule that when you start hooking up with your best friend, you're not supposed to fall in love with them. But I did. And I shouldn't have. _We_ shouldn't have ever done this, and now it's all gonna be screwed up."

Barry didn't respond immediately, which only made Iris more sure that she had made a fool of herself.

"I did meet with Patty," he said. "But we're not getting back together."

"Oh. Could she not get the transfer?"

"No, she could get it."

"Then why aren't you getting back with her?"

"Because I want to be with you."

He said it so simply and easily that Iris wondered if she had heard right.

"Wait, what?"

"I love you, Iris. Did you really not know? I've been trying to drop hints for weeks, but I guess I didn't do a good job."

Her heart began to soar as she actually processed what he was saying, and she smiled sheepishly.

"I mean, I did notice you acting differently. But I didn't want to get my hopes up or think the wrong thing."

Barry reached his hand out for her, and she abandoned her desk and took his hand. She sat down on the bed next to him and he brought her hand up and kissed it.

"I'm crazy about you. You're my best friend and you are my soulmate, not Patty." Iris felt like she might cry so she blinked quickly to keep the tears at bay. "I'd really like it if you would upgrade me from 'friend with benefits' to 'boyfriend with benefits.'"

She grinned and then climbed onto his lap and planted a wet kiss on his mouth. "I think that can be arranged."


End file.
